India: The Golden Triangle, Kochi, and UNESCO Sites

Kochi, India was the second stop of the Spring 2024 Semester at Sea voyage and seems to be a stop on many future voyages. The city of Kochi was a beautiful glimpse into the coastal Indian life, with fishing and tourism being the lifeblood of all people. From a cruise perspective, this port was maybe the most intense of them all. We had to carry this piece of printer paper around like our life depended on it, because it did, we were not allowed back in the cruise terminal without it. Other than that, India is the seventh largest country in the world, so I really barely saw it, but I still loved my experience. It is a country that fits in the category of “Would totally go back if given an opportunity”. There was certainly intense poverty and just an overwhelming amount of environmental/well-being concerns, however, I also met so many kind people, learned about the Hindu faith, and was able to see my first Wonder of the World. Now onto my guide!

KOCHI:

We filled our time in Kochi with some wonderful things and also some things I would not recommend.

Kathakali: ABSOLUTELY NO. My friend Erin took a theater class on the ship, and for that class, she had to attend theatrical programs in a few of the ports. She dragged a group of us to this, and it was just crazy. There was so much incense and then we started out just watching these men put makeup on. Then there was a drag show of sorts where they just scream-sang for an hour and a half. There were also drums and cymbals?
Princess Street: This was the most fun collection of local shops, selling all kinds of fun items. We (and every other SASer) found a fabric shops with all kinds of fun patterned bags and pajamas. Like a Vera Bradley vibe! There were all kinds of trinkets and fun snacks to look at on every corner. We spent lots of time in a cashmere scarf store, where the salesman was from the region of Kashmir. He also gave us all kinds of history too!
LuLu International Shopping Mall: Like I said before, malls are a huge part of the culture throughout Asia. This mall was HUGE, and we had so much fun roaming around. There were so many stores, a full-sized grocery, and lots of restaurants. We grabbed lunch at a restaurant there (spicy af) and then found a Baskin Robbins – so fun!

THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE:

My best friend Erin and I signed up for a field class (an excursion) through Semester at Sea for this. With India being so large and this port being early in our trip, we knew that this purchase would guarantee seeing what we wanted to see in a safe way and help us make some new friends as well. I had also researched similar tours and the pricing was only a bit cheaper, so this seemed like a no-brainer. Another important thing to note about SAS is that the ship leaves at a very specific time and they will leave without you. We also wanted to avoid that completely and SAS will not leave behind field classes as they are SAS sponsored.

Our trip was 3 days, 2 nights and began with a flight to New Delhi. This is an easy three hour flight and both airports were huge with lots of food options and great bookstores. In New Delhi, we got on our giant tour bus and visited Humayan’s Tomb. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is not necessarily a must but was definitely beautiful, particularly at sunset.

We then headed to one of the outdoor marketplaces where we got in these bike carriages and we pedaled around the knockoff markets. We got to see all kinds of fake luxury brands and misspelled US brands as well as random food carts and SO MANY PEOPLE. This was such a crazy experience that I will never forget. This was one of those times I was glad there were adults checking that we made it back haha.

We stayed the night in New Delhi at a nice hotel and got up early the next morning to drive the three hours to Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. First, we visited the Agra Fort, another UNESCO site, and we got to wander this beautiful historical place for a bit. It had a far off view of the Taj Mahal as well as so many interesting architectural finishes to look at. After, we went to the Taj Mahal! It was a bit foggy when I was there, but it was still one of those pinch-me moments for sure. The site of the Taj is absolutely ginormous, so I really came up with a game plan to walk it all. Some people prefer to take a million pictures, but I really wanted to soak it all in in addition to a few pictures. The inside of the Taj itself is a tomb (commissioned by the 5th Mughal emperor for his wife) and no pictures are allowed, with soldiers monitoring everywhere. Obviously, the experience is your own but I absolutely loved really focusing on my surroundings rather than my camera roll.

After the Taj, we stayed at another hotel and then spent the next day traveling back to the ship (bus and flight). I would definitely recommend going through SAS or another company for this because friends that did it independently were STRESSED. We did have some friends who went out to bars once we made it to the hotels, but I was always exhausted and ready to crash. Definitely an option though!

GENERAL TIPS:

If you are planning to go watch the fishing nets in Kochi, don’t. They are definitely interesting, but trash and bird poop was EVERYWHERE. I did get pooped on while there. Also, you just feel like you’re in the way of people doing their jobs, because you are.
Call your Uber and make sure they are there before leaving the port. There are 5 million taxi drivers who will not hesitate to follow you, touch you, or yell at you, so you want to be prepared to have a car to jump into when you go out.
Try to walk places if it’s safe! The architecture is beautiful and there are so many things to see everywhere you go. Just be sure you are in a group though!
Get henna if you want it! There were a few people right by the port, and I was able to negotiate with them. When will you ever be able to get these beautiful designs in India?
Kochi in Jan/Feb was SO HOT while in New Delhi people were wearing coats. It was only in the 60s there but a wrap was nice to have for sure. You also just want to be sure you are mindful of different temps and even smog as you go into bigger cities.
I am allergic to dates, tree nuts, and shellfish. In the country of India, cashews are used like a garnish of sorts. My recommendation is to be super communicative with everyone you’re with and talk to anyone in the restaurant you can. Some people may have thought I was overdoing it but I made sure each thing I put in my mouth was safe for me. Typically, restaurant staff was very understanding (we were probably at very touristy spots) and brought me extra of the dishes I could have as many meals were family-style.

I could write so much more about this beautiful country and all the wonderful places my friends got to see that I would love to, like Goa, Jaipur, and Mumbai. However, I am already covering everything I wanted to here, so see you soon!